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In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, one of the most prominent themes is relationships, more specifically the conflict between an individual and society. Faulkner illustrates this through each character’s development of self-identity. Many of the characters can be described as egotistical and self-concerned, paralleling most people in the real world. As an older sibling, I can relate to Addie and Anse’s eldest son, Cash the most. Cash is the most logical thinker which he portrays through his narrative sections.
He refers to reason rather than delving into emotions, and strives towards perfection.
As an older child, I am expected to be responsible, mature and serve as a role model to my younger brother.
This has led me to become more of a realist and perfectionist as Cash is portrayed. Despite all of his helpful and resourceful attributes, no one listens to Cash. He is continually interrupted in an attempt to help his brother Jewel place their mother’s coffin on a wagon so that it wouldn’t tip over.
He knows the coffin won’t balance in the position it has been placed, but no one considers his advice seriously.
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When I do give advice, others often take it as me being egotistical or in general don’t take my it seriously. After Cash is ignored, however, the coffin of their mother does tip over and falls into the rushing river as his reaction was he had told his family “It wasn’t on balance. [He] told them…” (Faulkner 165), I have often been in Cash’s situation as my younger brother or even other friends often act carelessly or recklessly.
An example being when my brother had spilled water in the hallway.
I advised him to dry it up, but he ignored me and after a while, he came into my room and asked me to race him down the hallway.
When I told him I wouldn’t, he threw a towel at me and when I stood up from my chair hastily and annoyed he ran frantically out of my room, accidentally slipping on the water he had just spilled. In Cash’s situation, the others ignored him because he comes off as self-centered and a bit dogmatic, which is how I believe I can portray myself as well sometimes. Cash could also be perceived as a bit arrogant by his other siblings because he is building a coffin for his mother while she is still alive. Cash’s intentions are not offensive, as he is trying to make his mother proud in the only way he thinks he can, which is by working pragmatically and methodically with surprising calmness. He is not able to comfort his mother emotionally, but rather through his hard work, which is ultimately why I relate to Cash the most since he has failed to develop his self-identity to the extent that he could take care of other people. (22)
Because the novel is narrated in fifteen different perspectives, William Faulkner succeeds in instilling a pattern of development in self-identity for a majority of the characters. He writes the story in the form of a stream of consciousness which allowed him to expose the complexity of human relations and the life of an individual in the society during the beginnings of the 20th century. Through the narration of the fifteen different characters, Faulkner was able to demonstrate the extent to which individuals are isolated and separated from each other. As stated, one of the central themes of the books is the focus of the main characters on their own self, while society grows more and more individualistic and egoistic.
Faulkner conveyed his vision of the society, the idea of individualism, and the search of self-identity and thus the destruction of social relations, through each character. The entire novel is based on flashbacks which reveal the past life of the main characters and reveal the relationships and problems each character had in his or her life. Moreover, through the structure of shifting from character to character, it is possible to see how each character is feeling. Since there is no central narrator, the character’s inner thoughts must be analyzed in order to determine the type of persona they are. In addition, through this structure, other people perceptions on each character are unveiled. The structure also helps advance the theme of how delusional the family really is. It helps show their self-indulgence through the way they hardly demonstrate compassion towards each other. Even though their mother just died none of them appear to mourn her death besides the youngest child, Vardaman.
Since Faulkner doesn't use a straight narrative technique to explain certain aspects, the specific essence of the relationships or the significance of any exact event is up for interpretation. Almost all of the family members have undisclosed, self-interested motives for wanting to go to Jefferson. This indicates that the established goal of familial duty to Addie isn’t the genuine goal for their trip. Anse Bundren justifies the journey by acknowledging that Addie’s “mind is set on it,” but his true motive is to buy a new set of false teeth in town and find a new wife. Additionally, Dewey Dell's intention for going into town is seeking an abortion. Cash also reveals his self-interests as his desire to purchase a gramophone in town. Faulkner's novel draws attention to the value of heroism by showing how the Bundrens’ “heroic” journey is actually taken on partially to satisfy the family’s competing self-interests.
Overall, William Faulkner raises the important theme of self-identity and society. He depicts a variety of characters who are different but still similarly have their motives defined by their self-identity. All their self-identities are characterized by the domination of selfish interests of people and their concerns with their own success and happiness, established through his unique structure and writing style. (22) As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is most similar to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. This is emphasized most through the similar characteristics between the two main characters, Jewel and Holden. Jewel, who is not being a biological son of his parents, at the beginning of the novel, shows isolation and experiences detachment, as he walks “fifteen feet behind [Darl], looking straight ahead, steps in a single stride…”(Faulkner 65).
Jewel's separation demonstrates how he is perceived as this outsider in the way he distances himself when walking behind his family. This further connects to the character Holden, through his feelings of not belonging in society. Holden’s alienation from society stems from his disconnect from his family as well. This is displayed through his feelings of not completing his parents' expectations. His performance in school does not reflect the way in which his parents speak of him to others. This inability of meeting standards leads him to, later in the novel, go to a hotel room without notifying his parents which further extending the problem. This similarity comes forth as both characters deal with the problem of not having enough assurance. This assurance is needed through company, love, or connections with other individuals. The underlying theme is found of alienation as a form of self-protection. Their pain from being an outsider created barriers in which they cannot let anyone in.
Essentially, they are both isolated due to their unhealthy family relations. Their isolations create more problems that interfere with their life. Both characters are constantly faced with obstacles which are hard to overcome. Not only do they relate with bad relations amongst their family, but in the end, they never retaliate on their family. They isolate themselves away however not enough turn on them. The novels themselves also compare in that they were both developed in post-war times located more so in the Eastern part of America. In all, the characters from both pieces of text are isolated from their negative family connections with one another. (20) Darl, Addie’s second son, exhibits traits that parallel those seen in the real world. As a reaction to his mother's death, he creates his own coping mechanism, referring to himself in the third person, describing how “we hadn’t no more than passed Tull’s Lane when Darl begun to laugh. Setting back there...with his dead ma laying in her coffin at his feet, laughing” (Faulkner 105).
Darl supposedly had 'gone insane' according to the other characters because of the series of tragedies he had faced. As a result of the dysfunctionality present between his family, his responses to the struggles he faces are poor. Many in society today often deal with similar personal problems and do not comprehend how to cope with such a situation either. Laughing, in this case, indicates a way to preserve self-image. Darl as other individuals laughs so that they do not show their feelings to the outside world. These individuals motives are to be seen as strong people who cannot break down their protective barriers. Most commonly these individuals are seen as “leaders” who have obtained a high position. As in the novel, Darl being the second oldest creates a reputation to uphold of ensuring the family as a whole is ok. Throughout the story, Darl became too concerned about moving forward. Faulkner emphasizes his obsession with having to go somewhere, designated and specific, despite his insights about the failure of this desire.
Consequently, he burns the barn in which Addie’s coffin rests. Although Darl's specific actions are not as common, the stem and reactions to his descending mental health are. The coping mechanism of laughing is not an expected or socially acceptable reaction in any tragic situation.The townspeople begin to judge Darl and perceive him as 'insane' when in reality he has been doing the most for the family. These false perceptions are also seen today as every action is pinned against an individual. This further creates the theme in both the text and society that one cannot judge off a situation that they have no background of. Overall, Darl's descent into madness provides to the theme of the conflict and judgment between an individual and society. (20)
Is the Bundrens’ journey to Jefferson is driven by familial duty, familial love, or something else? I believe this question captures the essence of Faulkner’s novel since the plot revolves around the death of Addie Bundren. Although the characters are trying to fulfill her wishes of being buried in Jefferson, each character has a separate reason to travel regarding their self-interests. When Addie had actually died, Faulkner demonstrated that almost none of the family had trouble coping or had actually struggled emotionally at all. Therefore, the characters are portrayed to travel to Jefferson, not of their love for their mother, but because they feel as though it is only respectful to comply with her wish, but also because they want to fulfill their own dreams. Throughout the book, Anse Bundren proves to represent this theme of self-interest versus heroic familial duty the best. Being Addie’s husband, he feels obliged to do what “Her [Addie’s] mind is set on ...” (Faulkner 30).
He also tries his best to respect Addie’s wish on the travel there, even getting mad at his son Jewel after he told him “not to bring that horse out of respect for his dead ma, because it wouldn’t look right, him prancing along on a durn circus animal and her wanting us all to be in the wagon….” (Faulkner 105). Although Anse is trying to pay respect to his wife, his expressions of it reveal that he is driven by familial duty, more than love. He also reveals that he wants to do what is socially acceptable by telling Jewel that he didn’t want people to see that he was riding his horse rather than being in the wagon as his mother had wished. Besides struggling through the journey to Jefferson out of familial duty, he also reveals he is doing it with motives involving his own self-interests. Anse’s self-interests involved buying himself a new set of teeth. The patriarch of the family even went to the extent of taking his oldest son Cash’s money. Cash was actually saving money to buy a graphophone, which once again displays self-interests when the family’s only concerns when traveling to Jefferson ought to be respectful and grant Addie’s wishes. After the journey to Jefferson, Anse relieved himself by reassuring that “now [he] can get them teeth” and how “That will be a comfort. It will.” (Faulkner 111).
Instead of seeking or giving comfort to and from his own family after their struggles, he finds comfort in something materialistic with the sole purpose of bettering his appearance. It is later revealed that shortly after the family arrives in Mr. Bundren has already found a new lover. The story ends with Anse introducing “... Cash and Jewel and Vardaman and Dewey Dell…” to “Mrs. Bundren” (Faulkner, 261). In doing this, Anse reveals that his commitment and respect for his wife was very short lived after he was given the opportunity to indulge in a new life. Overall, the overarching theme in Faulkner’s novel is the difference between heroic duty and self-interests. All the characters and their developments throughout the story portray human nature in that self-interests are usually prioritized before the needs of others. The Bundren’s proved that an act that may appear heroic to others is not necessarily motivated through selflessness. (21)
Topic of Relationship in As I Lay Dying. (2021, Dec 03). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/topic-of-relationship-in-as-i-lay-dying-essay
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